One of the assorted beers was Bard's, a lager I had never tried, so I zeroed in on that one. A true beer lover is always out for the next adventure.

The label announced it was a sorghum beer, which was another enticement for me. I've had only one other sorghum beer, as far as I can recall.

So I poured my ice-cold Bard's. True to lager tradition, it was lightly amber in color with a decent cap of white foam and a bunch of streaming bubbles. The nose was light, and a bit floral.

The first sip was what I expected from the nose -- a light, lager-style beer with just a bit of hops presence.

I thought maybe the use of sorghum, a type of grass, would impart an earthy flavor, but such is not the case. This is a basic, not bitter, burgers-and-fries kind of beer.

The body was pretty good, and it made for a smooth, easy drink.

I can't add Bard's to my list of favorites. I'm not much of a lager fan to begin with, so even though Bard's is a solid lager, it's just not my usual thing. I'd certainly grab one of these before going for a Bud or a Miller, but I'd be unlikely to snag a Bard's if there was something darker and richer available.

Bard's, however, does achieve something that other beers do not. It is gluten-free, so a beer lover diagnosed with celiac's disease doesn't have to pass up on a drink.

Glutens are a protein present in most grains, including the barley and wheat that are featured in most beers. Millions of people with celiac's disease can't tolerate glutens, which means no beer -- unless they reach for a Bard's.

Brewery founders Craig Belser and Kevin Seplowitz are celiac patients, and they made it their mission to come up with a good brew that the two million or so Americans who share their diagnosis could enjoy.

A bottle of Bard's contains about 14 grams of carbohydrates, making it not-too-bad for people counting those.

The brewers plan a line of beers, so I'll keep my eyes open to see what else they come up with. Their take on a lager is pretty good, so I'm guessing they'll be able to pull off a gluten-free India pale ale.

I'd like to thank colleague Nicole Franz for filling for me last week. I had too much going on to write a beer review, so it was kind of her to step up to the plate.

Steve Goble is a copy editor and a beer snob. You can discuss beer on his blog at MansfieldNewsJournal.com/beer, or by following him on Twitter at twitter.com/brewologist.